Zodiac Sign: Alec Issigonis was a Scorpio. Issigonis' first cousin once removed was Bernd Pischetsreider, responsible . The first application of Sir Alec Issigonis' engineering breakthrough - All Photos by Randy Stern, except otherwise noted Remember Sir Alec Issigonis? He managed to obtain his Diploma, but was not admitted to advanced studies. Alternate titles: Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis. https://www.mini.com/ But this also reflects Issigoniss personal characteristics he was a strong minded, stubborn and arrogant man who did did not always have a lot of respect for others opinions and suggestions. He continued to be responsible for his original XC projects. Alec completed his education at an English boarding school, and in 1925, took a two month tour, by car, of Europe with his mother before returning to take a place at Battersea Polytechnic in south London, to study mechanical engineering. The strengths of this sign are being resourceful, brave, passionate, a true friend, while weaknesses can be distrusting, jealous, secretive and violent. I saw about 3 Americas in the wild that I can remember, and 1 example of the earlier MG 1100 Sport Sedan. Subsequently my main triumph of design is a carbon block conveyor that fit into an oddly shaped spot while using less pieces of steel than its predecessor. Alec Issigonis's mother was German, and it was on her side of the family that he was a first cousin once removed to automobile engineer and executive manager Bernd Pischetsrieder. Not sure how true it is, but I read somewhere that he even designed the ashtrays for the Minor. His father, a successful and wealthy shipbuilding engineer, was of Greek origin but held a British passport. He lived and worked in England " A camel is a horse designed by a committee " " Pure Math is the enemy of every truly creative man" Sir Alec's grandfather Demosthenes was sort of a mechanical genius having . Issigonis was dismissive of market research, The public dont know what they want; its my job to tell them and even mathematics, derided as the enemy of every truly creative man. Issigonis went into the motor industry as an engineer and designer working for Humber and competed successfully in motor racing during the 1930s and 1940s. Ford clinging to the T too long was the same sort of corporate inertia that had VW clinging to the Bug too long. Issigonis was an engineer, first and foremost, but I have used the terms design/designer in this piece, in the way that was contemporaneous to Issigonis and as he would have understood it, although we would now use use engineering. He failed his degree course but gained a diploma in Mechanical Engineering, at the third attempt, in 1928. The image his cars achieved for BMC was arguably a factor in the survival of the company in the market place, and BMC used his personality extensively in advertising whichyou can imagine Issigonis publicly hating but privately loving. Birth Name: Alec Issigonis Occupation: Entrepreneur Place Of Birth: Turkey Date Of Birth: November 18, 1906 Date Of Death: October 2, 1988 Cause Of Death: N/A Ethnicity: Unknown Nationality: Greek Alec Issigonis was born on the 18th of November, 1906. Our tool for managing your permission to our use of cookies is temporarily offline. After returning to England in 1922, he enrolled in engineering school, failing mathematics at every turn. They paid him to design a tractor safety cab after their own designers had 3 attempts and we built 3 failures. Issigonis also insisted that no less than 80% of the cars volume be dedicated to passengers and luggage. But the story begins even further back, with a man named Demosthenis, Alec's grandfather, who emigrated from Greece to Asia-Minor in the 1830s and worked for the Smyrna-Aydn Railway. He excelled in mechanical drawing, but failed his mathematics exams three times. Alec Issigonis Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis, CBE, FRS, RDI (Alec Issigonis) was born on 18 November 1906 in Smyrna in Greece (now Izmir, Turkey) and would become world-renowned for designing the Mini and Morris Minor for BMC. Address 8050 Alec Issigonis Way, Oxford Business Park North, Oxford, OX4 2HW. All I know is, which car I would rather be in driving if there was any tricky situation [], DAILY MIRROR By Richard Sear No man looks less designed to start off the cult of the miniature. Moultons hydrolastic suspension as installed on the BMC ADO16 by Issigonis. By 1964, BMC had built over one million front wheel drive vehicles, including over 800,000 Minis and over 200,000 ADO16s, and over a third were exported. Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Death and commemorations 4 Some of his cars Prior to his death, Alec and his mother travelled overland to London. It was at Alvis that Issigonis first worked with another of the influential characters of his career. His iconoclasm ensured that, despite the constraints of working in an industry where the size and complexity of the process meant that even the most forceful of designers was only one member of a large team, Issigonis cars bore his own stamp from the 1948 Morris Minor to the 1969 Maxi. Issigonis showed little interest in things mechanical until he was well into his teens, not riding in a car until he was 14 years old, and was seemingly more interested in art, under the strong influence of his mother. On the right is Alec Issigonis and standing next to him is John Cooper. It did get Hydrolastic eventually, then lose it again. When I was in grade school in the mid-70s, the next door neighbor of my best friend had 6 Minis. Issigonis quickly arranged for Jack Daniels to move up from Cowley to Longbridge to rebuild their close rapport. The ways in which things went sour for BMC , and for Alec himself, are all too well known: but with this little car, they surely both earned a big place in history. JUMP TO: Alec Issigoniss biography, facts, family, personal life, zodiac, videos and related celebs. [citation needed] Issigonis often commented to friends and colleagues that the Austin 1800 (ADO17) was the design he was most proud of, even though it never was as commercially successful as his three preceding designs. British car designer best remembered for his work on the development of the iconic Mini. Just re-watched the documentary about Issigonis, which has a great deal on the lightweight special It was 1999 channel 4 a full evenings programmes devoted to the 40th anniversary of the Mini. Your email address will not be published. info@oxbotica.com +44 (0)1865 433 998. If so, that would seem vindictive on Days part. He title at Alvis was Engineer in charge of passenger car design. meantime, John preferred his psychedelic Rolls .. Roger, hats off for this excellent treatment of an engineering legend. By placing an A series four cylinder engine transversely with the gearbox underneath in the sump and sharing the oil, and moving the wheels to the corners, he saved so much space that it was possible to accommodate a four seat car within a length of 10 feet. Getting a guy like Issigonis to design a V8 saloon and just chucking it in the bin. That's exactly what he did. the outer planets, Uranus and Neptune were not yet discovered, since the telescope had not yet been invented. Issigonis (standing) with the special at Shelsey Walsh hillclimb. At the peak if his career he was by far the most well-known personality in the British motor industry, one of the most well-known names in the European motor industry, and was the first and perhaps the only car British designer who could claim celebrity status. By 1945, a full scale static prototype close to the familiar production form was completed. In 1936, he moved to Morris Motors Limited at Cowley working on an independent front suspension system for the Morris 10. I caught up to my mate and I said thats a really cool car, what is it? Thats my BrothersMini Cooper. with 8 letters was last seen on the March 01, 2023.We found 20 possible solutions for this clue. . The cars quickly found their way to the scrapheap since the cost of repairing the automatic transmission typically was more than the car was worth. Iconic. How about an uncomfortable driver is a distracted driver? His father was a successful shipbuilding engineer, whose own father was from the Greek island, Paros. Decades later, despite enormous further developments, the vehicle has lost none of its initial charm. Alec Issigoniss mothers name is unknown at this time and his fathers name is under review. He was retired from British Leyland in 1971, memorably being given a Meccano kit for his leaving present. Issigonis never married; most accounts suggest that he was probably gay but he was obviously unable to express himself without huge risk to his professional status and even the risk of prosecution. Essay on The Pure Voice in Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles. Issigonis' creation was remarkable, but it really only became a Mini when he got a little help from his friend, motorsport pioneer John Cooper. My doodles and sketches are not the work of an academic engineer. In 1968, he was appointed as Director of Advanced Research of the newly formed British Leyland, and Harry Webster from Triumph became BLMCs Engineering Director. as an American familiar only with U.S. cars. Nkter data mohou pochzet z datov poloky. Thanks for this terrific bio on one of the all-time greats in the field. Alecs education details are not available at this time. LJK Setright, in his book The Designers describes Issigonis as working as a sculptor works, moving masses into different juxtapositions until his trained eye told him they were right. Sir Alec Issigonis: an insight into the great man, from an interview originally published in Autocar magazine to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the launch of the Mini. The concept of the transverse engine and gearbox combined with FWD, which had previously been used only with two-cylinder two-stroke engines by DKW (since the 1920s), Lloyd and Saab, was adapted by Issigonis for the four cylinder A-block engine for the Mini. To clarify, the Renault 4, 5 (first generation, Le Car), 6 and 16 all had longitudinally mounted engines. He was a complex man, with a complex background, family story and career. Alec Issigonis was born on the 18th of November, 1906. This would have been in the early 70s when they were literally everywhere. : Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis , CBE, FRS, RDI 19061118-1988102 . Alviss options for body shell production were being reduced, at the same as the estimated costs of the body manufacture doubled. Therefore, when Alec's father, Constantine Issigonis, was born in Smyrna in 1872, he was also a British national. Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis, CBE, FRS, RDI (Alec Issigonis) was born on 18 November 1906 in Smyrna in Greece (now Izmir, Turkey) and would become world-renowned for designing the Mini and Morris Minor for BMC. . The Renault 14 was transversely engined, from 1976. Sort By: Better Essays. This undated sketch by Issigonis shows some of this. Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis, CBE, FRS (November 18, 1906-October 2, 1988) was a Greek-British designer of cars, now remembered chiefly for the development of the Mini, launched by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) in 1959. View 6 Images. It confronted the conservative image of BMC head on, even if the rest of BMC range didnt. The car, as developed in a prototype form, showed potential as well as technical ambition the cars unitary construction made it relatively light and strong, it offered 6 seats, had a rear mounted transaxle, including the clutch, inboard rear brakes, long wheelbase configuration so typical of Issigonis and a modern, sophisticated 3.5 litre V8 engine. Oxford Office. . Below are all possible answers to this clue ordered by its rank. File nella categoria "Alec Issigonis" Questa categoria contiene 5 file, indicati di seguito, su un totale di 5. Towards the end of WW2, he began work on the Mosquito project, which ended up being launched in 1948 as the Morris Minor. The ease of driving it, attributable to Issigoniss careful and thoughtful suspension and steering design, as well as the comparatively low weight of the car, were factors in that as well as the comfort and space it provided. Chrysler also took a licence to manufacture the device, which was an integral part of their pioneering overdrive in 1934. He left Morris in 1952 for Alvis just as BMC was created from Austin and Morris (as well as Riley, Wolseley and MG).. [13], He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1967. Learn more. In many ways, this car was a clear, but simpler, derivative of the work Issigonis had been doing at Alvis, and Issigonis recruited some former colleagues from Alvis to BMC to develop V6 and V4 engines for the projected BMC cars, possibly using the aborted work at Alvis as a basis. Issigonis would work on the 9X programme, which included a replacement Mini and a new and innovative gearless transmission system. An advanced 4-speed fully automatic transmission was offered in these that lived in the sump and shared the engine oil, just like the manual gearbox. Learn how your comment data is processed. The suspension was trailing arms at the front, attached to a steel cross-member, and a swing axle rear, all with rubber springs made of catapult elastic. His father, however, did not survive the crossing. I am well acquainted with the brilliant/stubborn/arrogant type of engineer, I have occasionally served as a Daniels, and my own brilliant/stubborn/arrogant Grandfather could have probably used one too. Oak placed another engineer, Jack Daniels, alongside him to keep his feet on the ground. Cooper took the prototype out for a spin and realised this fuel-saving people's car cornered like no other. [], By Clifford Webb British Leyland are selling the Mini at a loss despite the latest price increase and the fact that after 14 years it is still their top export [], Lord Stokes writes to Sir Alec Issigonis on this day. The Mini remains one of the most important motoring icons of the 1960s, so it's only natural that the band would want a piece of the action as Beatles mania took hold. Probably the closest British comparison is the Jaguar Mk 1 which came out in 1955 and was produced at a rate of around 10-15,000 for thirteen years. Joseph Lowrey, [], The Mini hit its big landmark in 1969, a seismic year in the history of BMC>Rover. If (and I have no evidence and make no suggestions) a young Issigonis had been outed in, say, the early 1950s, his career progression would likely have been ended even, without any prosecution. Lord (later Lord Lambury, above) had big ambitions for BMC and initially tasked Issigonis with developing the basis for a range of modern family cars to replace the existing collection of BMC products. So Sir Alec Issigonis had an impact on my life. In 1961, he became Technical and oversaw the launch of the 1100, 1800 and Maxi all hugely advanced machines, with front-wheel drive, in-sump gearboxes, and interconnected suspension. Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis CBE FRS RDI (18 November 1906 - 2 October 1988) was a Greek automotive designer. Alec Issigonis Popularity Most Popular Born in 1906 First Name Alec #31 #1 Entrepreneur Born in Turkey #2 Alec Issigonis Is A Member Of Born In 1906 Entrepreneurs First Name Alec Scorpios The Minor, Mini, ADO16 and Landcrab all had character, and were all friendly cars. Even as Britain entered the 1960s, product planning remained something of an alien concept to its native carmakers, the majority of whom viewed such matters as being the sort of recondite nonsense invented in the United States, and best left there. A more powerful engine, bigger brakes and a few tuning tweaks later, the Classic Mini Cooper 997 was introduced. [], BMC changed the world with the launch of the Mini in 1959. He then moved on to Alvis, where he worked on the development of a luxury saloon, but the project had to be discontinued for cost reasons. Dear Mr Day I have not met you but I feel I must write to explain a few points. Manual transmissions seemed to hold up ok,lasting at least as long as the engine. Discover what happened on this day. Stooping just under six feet in height, he looms large at any [], By GEOFFREY CHARLES, Motoring Correspondent A high-level reshuffle of BMC directors areas of responsibility was announced yesterday as part of a streamlining process before completion of the BMH-Leyland merger. As a person whos worked as a CAD drafter for 24 years, I wonder what his objection to CAD was. Due to time pressures, the interconnected suspension system that Issigonis had planned for the car was replaced by an equally novel, but cruder, rubber cone system designed by Alex Moulton. Here in Australia they didnt seem particularly small, but they were certainly a lot more roomy than the competition. This page is updated often with fresh details about Alec Issigonis. Looking at the Minor or the Mini, I can believe that. As you know I was away when the little ceremony took place to mark your retirement and I have, of [], Sir Alec Issigonis, designer of the Mini, among other cars, is to remain design consultant with British Leyland after he goes into semi-retirement at the end of the month. They kept it several years until they decided they needed their 1st air-conditioned car a 66 LeMans. Young Alec grew up in a very affluent environment, with influences from Germany and Greece (he grew up speaking German and Greek), rather than Turkey and Britain. German Engineer Who Designed And Built The First Practical Automobile (Crossword ClueThe crossword clue German engineer who designed and built the first practical automobile. There was no radio fitted as he thought it would distract the driver. Building 9400 Oxford Business Park North Alec Issigonis Way Oxford OX4 2HN In 1928 his first job was in the design office of Gillett, an engineering firm in London. A colleague of his had a VW Polo then and kept shaking his head: Well, yes, if there were no other compact cars in the world , Mr. Roger Carr, Thank you. Austin Healey Sprites , 3000s Austin Americas, MG Midget, MGAs MGBs Mg 1100s I had many of each model. I saw that same car several times, so, at least in nice weather, it apparently was a daily driver. At the time of his retirement, 71, hatchbacks were not the thing they were 4 years later. He was able to share his engineering and automotive interests, through frequent tours of Longbridge in the 1960s, with a first cousin once removed on his mothers side of his family, who later completed a mechanical engineering degree and followed a career in the motor industry. From 1925-1928 he studied engineering at Battersea Polytechnic in London. It was the highlight of my career and came early as I was just 18 years old and just an apprentice engineer for a tractor company. It was created in response to a crisis and was a genius piece of packaging which will forever be Sir Alec Issigonis legacy to the automotive world. And a rally demon was born. I remember being quite put off by the sound of the engine seemingly racing to maintain 45mph. Apparently Walter Chrysler could also be difficult to work with. Noch ein Mini (A Mini! During 1967, Sir Alec Issigonis approached his BMH* superiors, asking to be temporarily relieved of day to day duties so that he could devote himself to a new vehicle project, one intended to directly replace the Mini. is military terminology referring to "Government Issue" or "General Issue". It is really amazing, when you think of it, that some 60 years later his basic vision rolls off of assembly lines all over the world. Humber were more interested in the sales engineer than his product, and Issigonis moved to Humber in 1933. Issigonis was born in Smyrna in 1906. The rest is racing . Later, he was working on an independent suspension for the larger Humber Hawk, with another rising star in the industry, Bill Heynes. ALEC ISSIGONIS Automotive Designer (1906-1988) One of the most original car designers of the modern era, ALEC ISSIGONIS (1906-1988) is best known as the creator of the Mini, but also designed two more of the five best-selling cars in British motoring history - the Morris Minor and the Austin 1100. . He inherited his great interest in technology and machines from his father who, shortly after the turn . I wanted to know the genesis. XC/9001 became ADO17 and was launched, also with the Hydrolastic suspension system, as the Austin 1800 in October 1964.The same principle was carried over for his next production car the Austin Maxi, However, by then he had become more aware of the cost considerations of vehicle manufacture and in service warranty costs which were crippling BMC. In 1942, the first scale model was produced and the following year work began on a hand-formed steel prototype. Alvis had a strong military business building armoured cars and personnel carriers, and this part of the business is still going strong as part of BAE Systems. Daniels (right) and Sheppard (left), no doubt, had to smooth a few ruffled feathers on the way. Issigonis was giving punters what they needed, rather than what they wanted. Issigonis legacy. Alec Issigonis, or more formally Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis CBE FRS RDI* (1906 1988), is best known as the creator of the Mini, but he also designed two other cars that have featured on CC and that are amongst the best-selling cars in British motoring history the Morris Minor and the Austin-Morris 1100 (ADO16). . Roger, are you saying that Graham Day ended the consultancy and goodwill payments because he was offended by Issigoniss letter? Sir Alec Issigonis ( 1906-1988 ) was an exceptional car designer who is best known for his development of the Mini.He was born in Smyrna ( Izmir ) in Turkey, the son of British-Greek parents. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Moulton was a scion of the family behind the Avon tyres company and a respected suspension system engineer in his own right who had worked extensively on the concept of rubber as a suspension medium, before working on the hydrolastic and later still the hydragas systems. Durante o curso ele foi reprovado trs vezes em matemtica. Kereta ini menjadi kereta popular di Britain dan banyak negara di dunia, di samping berjaya menjuarai Rali Monte Carlo sebanyak 3 kali. Therefore some functionality is missing.

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